Myles Aaron Dunson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Verrado High School for AZPreps365.com

BUCKEYE—After seven games in his senior season, Verrado High School football player Logan Waldeck has contributed 403 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, as well as 13 total tackles for his Vipers.

After seven games in the previous season, Logan was unable to walk due to a season-ending meniscus tear.

Logan’s junior year started off slowly as he had to sit out for five games after transferring schools.

“We came from Desert Edge,” said Josh Waldeck, Logan’s father and the Vipers’ linebacker coach. “Logan played linebacker there. He played running back in youth, so he really missed it, and I think we had an opportunity.

“I was talking to some coaches over there, and they said, ‘We could use another running back.’ He had some friends over there, so we made the decision to give it an opportunity and try it.”

Logan Waldeck receives a handoff from senior quarterback Malachi Wilt against the West Point Dragons. (Photo by Nick Ramirez/@shotbyrami) 

After regaining his eligibility, Logan started off his Viper career still mainly playing as a linebacker, contributing to 10 total tackles against the Marcos de Niza Padres. He also rushed for 22 yards on two carries as the Vipers stormed towards a 62-7 victory.  

As he was just starting to get his legs under him on offense, his season came to a crashing halt the following week on defense during the second quarter against the Cactus Cobras.

“I’m pretty sure [a Cobra receiver] caught a post route, and I was running all the way down to come tackle him,” Logan said. “I was going to make the tackle, but I didn’t see my other teammate get him down, and he kind of just fell on my knee. My knee went inwards.”

Not listening to the pain surging through his leg, Logan continued to play the following half. He finished the game with the best defensive stat line of his varsity career – six solo tackles and seven assisted tackles.

“It was definitely painful throughout the game, but adrenaline definitely helped me out,” Logan said.

As the adrenaline wore off and the pain became more unbearable, Logan knew that something was wrong. Logan said that he could not put any weight on his leg the next day.

Instead of going to the Vipers' morning workouts, Logan called his father and told him about the severity of his injury.

“He was limited,” Josh said. “He couldn’t walk, couldn’t go to school. So, it was tough seeing him at home doing schoolwork...Going through surgeons and picking a surgeon to do the surgery was unique in itself.”

The Waldecks found out that Logan had torn his meniscus during the game, and they went to Phoenix Children’s Hospital for the surgery to repair the tear.  

Even though the surgery was done, Logan’s road to recovery had just begun as he still aspired to be a running back for the Vipers.

He began his journey at Sun Valley Strength (SVS) Physical Therapy in Goodyear, where he went three times a week to regain his strength and confidence.

 
“Physical therapists definitely challenged me to my limit,” Logan said. “They had me doing a lot of stuff, but I give it up to them. They helped me a lot.”

Logan’s personal physical therapist, Taylor Jezuit, could not speak specifically about his journey, but Olivia Hill, another SVS therapist, said that recovery time varies with each patient.

“We have to do a lot of really passive exercises,” Hill said. “Usually, it’s almost about six weeks before they can become weight-bearing and doing stuff standing up.”

Hill said that, on average, the recovery time takes around four to six months before injured players can begin to practice.

“If they put in the work,” Hill said. “If they get strong, there’s no reason they can’t return back to 100 percent.”

Logan did just that, and some, as he worked on his recovery for the rest of the season and into the off-season to get back on the team.  

When he finally did make it back for the Vipers’ current season, he was met with a new head coach, Brett Davis, who had no prior knowledge of the hardships and work Logan had put in.

“It took me a while,” Davis said. “I didn’t even really know he had an injury because he doesn’t really talk about it. He never talks about it. So, it was a bit into the off-season that I had heard about it.”

Davis praised Logan’s toughness, not only in the fact that he had battled back through his injury, but also that he was incautiously attacking both sides of the field as a running back and a linebacker.

“More of a silent-type kid,” Davis said. “Not going to say a whole lot, he’s just going to lead by example...Yeah, he’s a tough kid.”

Since returning from his injury, Logan has been able to live out his youth football running back dreams, with highlights including back-to-back 90-plus-yard rushing games, two TDs and two MaxPreps Verrado Offensive Player of the Game awards.